Bears CEO and President Kevin Warren thinks about the team’s potential future home and draft picks.
CBS Chicago — Just over a year ago, the Chicago Bears hired Kevin Warren as their president and CEO. Warren doesn’t hold back when he declares his love for the city. Before the upcoming season begins, he expressed his hope to ascertain the location of the Bears’ new stadium.
“These are not emotional decisions,” he stated. “They are too expensive and also these are decisions that really will resonate over the next 50 years.”
With the number one pick and the Bears getting close to deciding on their new stadium, Warren is going all out at the most important turning point in the team’s history.
Is that exciting or intimidating, though?
It’s a whole lot of fun. It’s amazing,” remarked Warren. “Our 326 acres are located in Arlington Heights. I have meetings with the tax board and various school superintendents. There, we are landowners. Chicago, the City. Getting to know Mayor Johnson and his team has been a real pleasure, and our meetings have been quite fruitful. This city deserves the chance to submit a bid to host a Final Four, a college football playoff championship, or a Super Bowl. That is why I want to create an atmosphere with a dome and a fixed roof.”
Warren revealed that he has looked into the South Loop neighborhood that the White Sox are aiming for, but he did not discuss the possibility of moving south of their current Soldier Field residence.
“I looked at every piece of land that can house the stadium, yes,” he stated. “The positive aspect is that Jerry Reinsdorf has had a significant impact on Chicago. People frequently believe that it must be either/or—either the White Sox or the Bears. My perspective is that there is sufficient resources for all.”
Warren also communicates with Ryan Poles, general manager, on a daily basis. Poles will determine the quarterback position and what to do with the first overall pick in the April draft.
“His office is directly next to mine. We spend time together and are in each other’s offices all the time, according to Warren. At the conclusion of each meeting, I always ask him the same question: “Do you have what you need for us to win? I would never want to find ourselves in a situation where we look back and realize that we could have done “X,” but we chose not to because it would have been too expensive or we simply didn’t go above and beyond.”
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Bears: Three players on Chicago’s roster were cut before the 2024 offseason
General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears is about to embark on a 2024 offseason that will change the franchise. With the top overall pick in the draft and Justin Fields’ career in the Windy City at a crossroads, Poles’ decision will have a long-term impact on the Bears.
The Bears’ 2024 roster will be different from this past regular season’s, regardless of whether Fields or Caleb Williams start at quarterback (it seems highly unlikely it will be anyone besides those two, but stranger things have happened).
The Bears emerged victorious from seven games, including three of their five championship contests. Nevertheless, Poles has a number of options to add some salary cap space and free up roster spots for players preferred by new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron or new defensive coordinator Eric Washington, given that a few expensive veterans are performing worse and a high draft pick is yielding little value.
So before the Bears start training camp this summer, who might get the walking papers? Let’s review the three Chicago candidates who are most likely to be cut.
Jackson, S. Eddie
I apologize, Bears fans; this one might hurt.
Jackson is a Chicago fan favorite who was drafted and developed. After seven seasons with the team, he was named to the first team of the All-Pro team and won two Pro Bowls.
This is more of a cap hit decision than it is about Jackson’s play.
His 2024 budget of $18.14 million is excessive, especially considering how well Jaquan Brisker is progressing as Chicago’s backup. Jackson’s release by Poles after June 1 will only result in a $3.9 million dead cap charge.
Jackson appears certain to be released by the only NFL team he has ever known unless he consents to a significant pay cut in the offseason.
OL Cody Whitehair
Whitehair, another long-tenured Bears veteran who was drafted one year ahead of Jackson, may have played his final game with the team. Once more, a big deciding factor for the team will be his contract.
